My wife is an iPod Touch user, and one of her big wishes is for an app that provides hymns. Specifically, she'd like an app that lets her download a database of hymns (even just the words) to be searched and browsed offline.

She found some hymn apps, but they all turned out to be Mormon, or Buddhist, etc. We were really surprised not to find a Christian hymns app. My wife says she would be willing to pay for such an app, but there is apparently none currently.I checked Android market as well, and similarly came up short.

However, I read that you (Nic) said PocketSword may soon be supporting Genbooks , which would mean we could access the SWORD module for the Open Hymnal.

I didn't see genbook support on the issue tracker for PS, so I wanted to put in my vote for it... yes please! We would surely use it!

P.S.Said wife is already a PocketSword user.Also, she added the following regarding words-only vs. words-and-music: "I would actually love to have the music on the hymn app. I know the screen is small, but it sure would be nice. Probably would want both words only and music. [Or just] having links to the music...would probably be good enough for now. Also links to the midi files.Anyway. That's my two cents."

I don't know whether the SWORD module for the Open Hymnal has music or not, but thought I would throw the above 2 cents into the fountain.

Ahh, I was thinking of creating an app like that! Last year, that is, before I took over with PocketSword and ran out of time... ;)

Yes, I plan on adding support for Genbooks for v1.3.0 of PocketSword. I have only just started on 1.3.0, so it may be a month or more away? Unfortunately, my boss doesn't want me to be working on PocketSword while I'm at his office working for him... ;)There are no plans to support the actual sheet music or links to midi, but if someone were to create a genbook module that had links to midi, I could look into supporting it. Sheet music, on the other hand, wouldn't display very well on an iPhone and requires special layout, so would be much harder.Altho, that would be a great app for the iPad -- a sheet music reader! Imagine an app like iBooks except for sheet music! No more trying to turn pages in a performance, instead just tap on the screen and it switches to the next page. Or you could have built-in timers so that it auto-magically turns the page based on the tempo of the music and how many bars there are displayed on the current page!Hmmm....... THAT would be a fun app. :)
----------------------------------------
PocketSword Developerhttp://twitter.com/PocketSword

I have an app, used to be called Classic Christian Hyms but now it is called Husting Pocket Hymnal, I think it may fit the bill for a lyric only app. I am not affiliated with the author, nor do I know his theology, but the hymns are public domain hymns and are fairly well known. I have enjoyed the simple app.